


Aftermath

by National_Nobody



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, M/M, Making Up, Missing Scene, Season 2, Sort of unrequited Birdflash, Spitfire (mentioned), Spoilers for S2:E9
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-24
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2018-10-09 22:23:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10423095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/National_Nobody/pseuds/National_Nobody
Summary: With Mount Justice in ruins and Wally's shouts still ringing in his ears, Dick attempts to make amends with his best friend before things can get any worse.A.K.A: the missing making up scene I'm still bitter about not getting, but with a little added (and only sort of unrequited) birdflash.





	

It was barely dusk in Palo Alto when Dick rapped lightly on Wally’s door.

A moment passed.

Nothing.

Dick sighed, staring at the chipping red paint. He knew he was in trouble when the door didn’t open instantly, but he’d hoped Wally would at least let him in. He knocked once more and waited.

Still nothing.

Resignedly, he walked back down to the bottom of the steps and sat, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose

He was exhausted. The image of bright flames surrounding a destroyed Mt. Justice was still burned into his eyelids. His side was sore from where Kaldur had punched him. He rubbed at it absently and coughed. The tea had helped but his throat still felt raw from the seawater he’d accidentally swallowed before Mal had dragged him, unconscious, to shore.

Maybe Wally had been right.

Yes, the information Kal had passed him was worth the discomfort, but he and Connor had cut it so close. Another few seconds and they might not have made it out. He shuddered thinking of what would have happened if Kal and Artemis hadn’t taken the boys with them. Not that they were much better-off as captives, but had they been knocked out and left behind, would he have been able to get them all out? There were so many ways the encounter could have gone wrong. Well, worse. Wally had every right to be upset. But, didn’t he trust him? And how could he not trust Kaldur?

Kaldur’ahm, who had always been their moral center. Kaldur’ahm, who took time to tutor Garfield in Atlantean after his twelve hour shifts, gave Wolf his scraps after every meal, made M’gann laugh only hours after her and Connor’s break-up, didn’t leave Dick’s side for three days after Jason’s death, kept the cupboard packed with Wally’s favorites, just in case, even after he retired, and sat silently for hours with Connor until he stopped brooding and opened up. Kaldur’ahm who hardly ever even raised his voice in all six years as leader, who loved Tula so deeply he’d do anything, risk everything, to avenge her. How could Wally think that their same Kaldur would betray them as a triple agent? Please. Besides, they were in too deep. He couldn’t let himself doubt Kal now.

He stared absently at the quiet street, thinking again of the sting in his shoulder blades from Wally shoving him backward into a chair, green eyes narrowed with fury, ears red and blazing.

They’d never fought like that before.

“You really didn’t wear a warmer jacket?” A low voice asked quietly behind him. “You know it get’s cold here at night.”

Dick started, leaping to his feet and whipping around, making himself wince. Wally leaned against the railing at the top of the stairs with his hands in his pockets, staring down at him. Man, he _really_ must have been out of it to not hear Wally step out.

“Well I’m still feeling pretty toasted from earlier, to be honest,” Dick said lightly.

Wally crossed his arms, unamused.

“Ok, I get it, too soon. I just…” Dick glanced away, unsure.

“Just what, Dick?” Wally said tiredly.

“Just wanted to…apologize?” Dick half-shrugged, at a loss. It was times like this that having Batman as a surrogate dad had really put him at a disadvantage. All these years later and he was still pretty bad at this. He’d gotten a little better about talking about his feelings, sure, but admitting he was in the wrong? Well…he still needed to work on it.

Wally looked back toward the door, clutching his forearms tightly. Dick watched him tentatively, unsure if he should try walking up the stairs. Four heartbeats later, Wally let out a long breath and relaxed his stance.

“There’s still a slice of pizza on the coffee table if you’re hungry,” he grumbled, walking back inside. The corner of Dick’s mouth quirked upward just slightly, and he climbed the stairs quickly before Wally could change his mind.

 

It was by no means the first time Dick had been to this apartment, but it had definitely been awhile. As he kicked off his shoes at the door, Brucely raised his head, wagging his tail eagerly. Dick smiled and perched on the couch next to him, tossing his sunglasses onto the table and rubbing the dog’s head. Wally was in the kitchen with his back to him, taking his time fixing them drinks.

Dick waited nervously, glancing around and noting how, in the few short days since Artemis’ absence, there were already small but apparent changes. The photo of her and Wally in Times Square had been moved from the TV stand to the coffee table, right behind the textbook Wally had left open. Wally’s jacket was draped on the back of the kitchen chair instead of hanging from its hook by the door, where she’d always reminded him to move it to. Wally’s portable chemistry lab equipment was left out on the kitchen counter, where she’d never allowed him to keep it. Dick sat back guiltily, nibbling on the slice of pizza he’d been offered. Artemis had gone more than willingly into this mess, but he knew that was what bothered Wally most. As if he didn’t have enough reasons to be mad at Dick.

Wally joined him in the living room just as Dick was finishing off his food, handing him a Jack and Coke.

“Thanks,” Dick murmured.

“It’s useless to me, so someone might as well drink it,” Wally shrugged, sitting on the other side of Brucely, scratching his back absently. They sat in silence for a moment, the news playing quietly on the TV in front of them. Dick sipped slowly and wished he’d put more thought into what he wanted to say before he’d dashed over here. He placed the cup on a coaster in front of him and ran his hands across his face.

“Look, Walls, I’m really sorry,” he said slowly. “I know it’s not Mt. Justice being gone that upset you, I didn’t mean that stupid line about the souvenirs.”

“Made that clear enough to you, did I?” Wally grunted sarcastically, sipping his iced tea.

Dick sighed. “I _never_ actually thought that, ok? I was just angry at…well at everything. You’re right, the whole thing was a mess and mostly my fault—“

“Mostly?” Wally turned his head, glaring. “Dude, I don’t care how well Kaldur and Artemis know The Cave, none of Aqualad’s goons should have been able to get in there with all the security that _you_ put in place. And yet they did, they _all_ did, and were able to nab the kids without breaking a sweat. Explain how that isn’t on you.”

“I know, I know, it was a stupid mistake,” Dick snapped, fists clenching on his knees. “Blue and Impulse ran inside with some foreign tech and I was careless enough to analyze it in the Cave. It bypassed all security. After that, there was nothing to do but play the whole thing out.”

“Yeah, and then nearly die in the process,” Wally snapped.

Dick tossed up his arms exasperatedly. “We’ve already been over this. _Nearly_ dying a lot is kind of part of the job description, Wally—“

“No, Dick,” Wally said, raising his voice and turning to face him. “The job description says to _avoid_ unnecessary harm except for in _extreme_ cases where you can’t avoid it.“

“This _was_ an extreme case,” Dick said emphatically. “And the fact is that Conner, Wolf and I _did_ all get out alive in the end.”

“And that’s supposed to make it ok? Dick, are you kidding me?” Wally seethed, rising from the couch, towering over him. “In all my time on the team, none of us would have even _considered_ pulling a stunt that would put everyone in the kind of jeopardy that this shit did. It should never get that desperate. _You_ , as leader, should never let it get that desperate.”

“Well, sorry to break it to you, but we _are_ that desperate,” Dick hissed. “Not sure how that didn’t sink in when I asked Artemis to go undercover. Or did you really think I was doing that just to piss you off?”

“Considering her ‘sacrifice’ didn’t end up doing jack shit to convince the Light? Yeah, the thought may have crossed my mind,” Wally retorted, crossing his arms.

“None of us could have known that wouldn’t go as planned,” Dick said, sitting rigidly in place and trying to restrain himself, “but her ‘death’ wasn’t for nothing. Kaldur is _not_ a triple agent, Wally—“

“You _don’t_ know that.”

“I _do_! And you do too!” Dick shouted, half rising from the couch before catching himself and forcing himself to sit again. He exhaled sharply through his nose then started again, his tone more controlled. “Kal wasn’t betraying us by blowing up Mt. Justice. He was just in a shitty situation with no alternative options that would keep his cover intact. But at least now he isn’t _alone_. Now he and Artemis can watch each other’s backs while, as you pointed out, this inevitably gets worse. Besides, no one is better equipped to deal with the Light and live among the bad guys than she is. You know that.”

Wally stepped away and leaned heavily against the wall beside the TV, looking away.

“They’re going to need each other before the end of this, Wally,” Dick added, more gently. “And they’re going to need us. You don’t have to like it, but you _need_ to trust them. To trust me.”

“Of course I trust Artemis,” Wally snapped. “And it’s not about not trusting you,” he added, his voice getting thick. “It’s about your total disregard for your life.” He looked down, the anger on his face subsiding into hurt. “Years ago, you gave Aqualad all that grief for being too self-sacrificing, and now look at the two of you. Acting like this whole thing isn’t ten times worse.”

Dick’s brow furrowed in confusion. _What did he mean years ago—Oh._ Dick froze, something finally clicking. “The explosion,” Dick murmured. “That’s what this is about? You’re extra freaked because I was specifically in a scenario where I was inside a huge _headquarters_ that _exploded_.”

“Yeah, wow, good work detective,” Wally stated sarcastically, his expression switching back to angry and hard though his eyes retained the hurt. “Glad you could finally deduce that I actually prefer not to see you burning to death in a fiery blast. _Again_.”

They stared silently at each other, Wally trying to hide the hitch in his breathing. Dick sunk back into the couch, guilt settling in the pit of his stomach.

“The first time wasn’t real, Wally,” he said quietly.

“Felt real enough at the time, or have you forgotten?” Wally asked emptily. Dick shuddered. As if he could forget. It had been five years, yet he’d still occasionally wake in a cold sweat after a nightmare of the simulation-gone-wrong, clutching at his earpiece and resisting the urge to make everyone check in to say they were still alive.

“Yeah, sounding familiar now? First I ‘lose’ Artemis, then I watch you burn in front of me? Not exactly my favorite kind of Déjà vu.” Wally wiped at his nose, unable to keep his composure any longer. “I mean fuck, Dick, you’re my best friend!” He said thickly, “How the hell do you think I’d be able deal if you—“ he stopped himself. Gulped. “We’ve lost enough friends already.”

Dick’s expression softened. He exhaled, long and slow. “I know. You’re right,” he said, crossing the room and placing a hand gently on Wally’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Wally. Really, really sorry.”

Wally relaxed slightly under Dick’s touch, pulling him into a hug. “You’re an asshole and I hate you sometimes,” he mumbled into Dick’s shoulder, gripping him tightly.

Dick smiled slightly and squeezed him back. “Love you too, Kid Idiot.”

Eventually, Wally pulled back far enough to look Dick in the eye. Dick couldn’t quite read Wally’s expression as he brushed Dicks bangs away. “You know I can barely remember the last time I actually saw your eyes in person. Or you out of uniform in general.”

“Yeah, well,” Dick glanced away, feeling a flush creeping up his face under Wally’s scrutiny, “Saving the world has tended to be a 24/7 job lately. And you’ve been busy too.” He gestured vaguely at Wally’s textbook.

“Yeah,” Wally sighed. “Guess I’m just still not used to this whole long-distance friendship thing. Never felt like we were in one when I was on the team.”

“Then…do you want me to stay?” Dick asked hesitantly.

Wally looked away, considering it. After a moment, the corner of his lips twitched up nearly imperceptibly. “Well, we never did finish that Star Trek marathon…”

Dick laughed. “Dude, that was like two years ago.”

“Better late than never,” Wally shrugged.

“Sure,” Dick nudged him, “But I swear if you quote every damn line of dialogue again as we’re watching—“

“You’ll what? Shut me up?” Wally smiled, raising an eyebrow. “Ha, Please. I’d like to see you try.”

Dick’s grin turned mischievous in response. Wally gulped.

 

An hour later, Dick Grayson was well and truly drunk. He’d been joking when he’d suggested he and Wally turn their TV marathon into a drinking game, considering the speedster rarely bothered with alcohol. He’d expected Wally to roll his eyes, but instead a sad expression flashed across his face before he snorted saying, “You know what? Why not.” And so, somehow, there Dick was, head buzzing, staring longingly at Wally the way Brucely would sometimes stare at his empty food dish. It was a little mortifying.

They were on the couch, Dick leaning back against the armrest, legs in Wally’s lap, Wally on the other end absorbed in the TV and vainly tossing back huge gulps of rum at an alarming rate. It was unfair, Dick thought, that barely three drinks in he was already well past woozy, and yet Kid Metabolism had gone through a bottle and a half in the last twenty minutes and was still practically sober. Wally set the bottle down, laughing at something on screen, and Dick’s chest panged. This was a bad idea. It had been so long since he’d heard Wally really laugh like this. Seen him smile like this. He’d forgotten what it did to him.

He dragged his eyes away from Wally’s face and tried to pay attention to what was on screen. He registered vaguely that it was an episode he’d seen before. In fact, it might have been the first one Wally had ever introduced him to, back when they were kids.

Dick had shown up unannounced one day at the West’s house, asking if Wally was in, and Wally’s mom had led him over to the couch where Wally was shoveling down popcorn and staring attentively at the TV. He asked Wally what he was watching and made the freckled teen practically choke on his snack.

“Dude!” Wally’d exclaimed. “You did _not_ just ask me that.”

“Uh, should I already know what this is?” Dick had asked, confused.

Wally’d slumped over dramatically, clutching his heart. “Oh sweet sci-fi gods, _Rob_ , you are not seriously telling me you have no idea what Star Trek is? I may have to find a new best friend.”

Dick had shoved him playfully. “Whatever, Kid Mouth. Why don’t you introduce me then if it’s so important.”

“Deal,” Wally had said, flashing him a huge grin and pulling Dick down next to him. “Get ready, ‘cause this show is going to blow your little genius mind!”

And it did. And he’d loved it. He and Wally ended up sitting there watching episodes for so long, so late into the night, that they fell asleep there, Dick nestled up against Wally’s shoulder, Wally’s head resting on top of his.

Dick smiled at the memory.

Wally nudged Dick’s knee, bringing him back to the present. “What’re you smirking about, Boy Wonder?” he teased. The credits were rolling, and it was time to switch to the next disk.

Dick shrugged, grinning wider, “Just remembering that one time you used that especially terrible Star Trek pick-up line on M’gann the first week she was on the team,” he lied.

Wally groaned. “We are not talking about this. That never happened.”

Dick cackled, “She was so confused. I had to sit there for three minutes and explain old fictional space travel to her, and you were so embarrassed that you super-speeded into a wall and knocked yourself out for a few seconds.”

“Never. Happened.” Wally said through gritted teeth.

“And thus the nickname Wall-man was born!”

Wally whacked him with a pillow. “Ok, but for real that part is _actually_ not true.” Wally rolled his eyes in a perfect impression of ‘annoyed Artemis’ and Dick snickered harder. “Will there ever be a day that you _aren’t_ a huge pain in my ass?” Wally asked.

“Who said anything about pain? I’d have no problem being gentle with you Wall-man,” Dick winked.

“Dude!” Wally exclaimed hitting him again with the pillow, laughing. But Dick couldn’t help notice the blush blooming on Wally’s cheeks.

“What’s the matter, West? Rum finally getting to you?’ Dick teased, poking his cheek.

“You really like living up to your name, don’t you?” Wally goaded him, pinching Dick’s knee where he knew he was ticklish.

“Ahh—hey! Not fair, stop it!” Dick slurred, giggling.

“Make me, bird boy,” Wally smirked.

Dick twisted out of Wally’s grip and pounced, landing ungracefully on the cushion in the space where Wally had been just a second ago. Wally laughed, having the advantage of super-speed and sobriety, and had Dick pinned down before he could do anything except roll onto his back.

“Too slow,” Wally smirked smugly, sitting on top of him.

“Guess you got me,” Dick conceded.

But as Wally opened his mouth to speak, Dick wrestled his legs up under Wally’s arms and around his chest from behind, yanking Wally backwards with a yelp and landing smoothly on top of him before he could recover.

“Ha, kidding. As if I’m not used to seducing a speedster by now.”

“Don’t you mean subduing?” Wally raised an eyebrow.

“Sure, Walls.” Dick grinned mischievously, leaning over him and running a hand through his soft red hair. Wally shivered, automatically leaning into his touch. Dick leaned closer, brushing his lips lightly against the corner of Wally’s mouth.

“Dick,” Wally warned gently. Dick paused. Wally pushed Dick back up so he could sit up as well, but kept Dick in his lap.

Suddenly far too self aware of what he’d been doing, Dick started to scoot away, embarrassed, but Wally held him in place.

“Hey, it’s ok.”

Dick mumbled a fervent, slurred apology, his face burning, but Wally just rolled his eyes again and held Dick’s chin with his thumb.

“Dick, look at me.”

He did, for a second, then looked away. Wally sighed, then craned his neck around until he caught Dick’s gaze.

“Hey, don’t hide from me. We’ve talked about this.” He said gently, his voice low with a hint of raspiness that made Dick’s chest ache.

“I know,” Dick murmured.

“You know how I feel about you,” Wally continued, tucking some hair behind Dick’s ears, “but you passed up that chance a long time ago. I mean, not that I blame you, we were just kids, but still. I have Artemis— _love_ , Artemis. What kind of asshole boyfriend would I be if I cheated on her with you not even a week after she left, huh?” Wally smiled sadly and pulled him close, embracing him tightly. “Sorry, Dickiebird.”

“No, m’sorry.” Dick muttered into the freckles on Wally’s neck. “ _I’m_ the asshole. Wasn’t thinking. Too much rum.”

Wally sighed and pulled back. “Let’s just call it a night, ok? Get some sleep?” Dick nodded, eyes downcast. Wally ruffled his hair. “Come on, don’t mope. You don’t have to sleep on the couch if you don’t want to. You can sleep in my bed as long as you behave.”

Dick shrugged noncommittally but didn’t move from Wally’s lap. “Ok, I’ll take that as a yes, then,” Wally said, scooping Dick up the way he used to when they were kids and carrying him to the other room. Too embarrassed and drunk to protest, he let Wally plunk him down on the bed—probably Artemis’ side, he thought vaguely—and caught the pajamas Wally threw his way, changing clumsily once Wally left to use the bathroom.

When he closed his eyes, the world was still spinning, and part of him felt thirteen again, wanting to shrivel up into nothingness from embarrassment after he’d accidentally tripped while training, his mouth landing on Wally’s bottom lip, unsure of what it meant when Wally didn’t immediately pull away. He shook his head, but it only made him dizzier. That was then. They were adults now and they’d made their choices. He could be an adult about this. Through the haze he started going through one of Batman’s meditative mental exercises, trying to pull himself back into Nightwing mode. It was futile, but when Wally came back and slid comfortably into bed next to him, radiating warmth even from half a foot away and smelling like fresh mint toothpaste, he ignored the pressure in his chest, grateful that at least they were ok again, and pretended to be fast asleep.


End file.
